Make Me Better
by IHeartLogiebear
Summary: Kenzie Diamond has been in the spotlight her whole life and the media scrutiny has only gotten more intense as she has begun to pursue her own music career. Constantly working, being compared to her famous father, the gossip and rumors surrounding her personal life. When she finally snaps, those around her must accept a new reality. REQUESTED HOW TO LOVE SPINOFF, "What if" story.
1. Breaking Down

**Okay, so A's Little Liars requested another How To Love story:) She gave me some good ideas and I decided to do this story here. It's gonna be less than 10 chapters because I want to focus on finishing up See You Again and updating Thoughts of a Stranger more, but basically this story will be about Kenzie finally snapping under the pressure and about how James, the other kids, and their families deal with it:) **

**It may take a short time for me to update again because I'm gonna try to complete See You Again soon, but here it is! :)**

* * *

James sighed as he wrote the caption next to Jenna's picture in his scrapbook. It had been nineteen years since her passing and he missed her to this day. He'd had no idea that she would die in childbirth and that he would be left to raise their daughter by himself. Raising Mackenzie, Kenzie for short, was a rewarding experience for him and he'd loved seeing her grow into the young woman she is today, but James still grieved Jenna's death.

Thankfully, he now had Lucy, his amazing wife and Ryan, their fifteen year old son. Ryan was a lot like Kenzie, except he was much more low key and rarely found his picture in magazines. For a teenager, he didn't seem all that interested in fame. He wanted to go to college and play football. James was kind of grateful for that because he really didn't care to see Ryan succumb to the pressures of the Hollywood life.

He looked at a copy of US weekly, frowning at the picture on the cover. It was a disturbing picture of his own daughter, wandering on the streets of New York City, an unidentified bottle in her hand. Comparing this to the framed photograph on his desk, of Kenzie at seventeen years old, was frightening. What had happened to his beautiful daughter?

Jenna's parents had suggested that he arrange to get a conservatorship over her, but he supposed he was in denial. Was she THAT bad off that he needed to assume total control over every aspect of her life? Plus, every time he confronted her, she always pulled the "I'm nineteen, I'm an adult" card. There was just no getting through to her.

Everyone had their own lives now. Kendall and Jo were now married and the parents of three children, Kat (12), Bryan (9), and Jeff (3). Carlos and Stephanie ere married and had two children, twin girls named Yvonne and Callie (both 14). Logan and Camille were married and had Jayce (18) and Gabriella (15). James and Lucy had Kenzie, Ryan, and their third child was due to be born in just a couple weeks (They planned on naming her Jenna, after his late wife). James was happy with his life, but it wasn't perfect.

**BREAKING NEWS: Pop star Mackenzie Diamond placed under a 5150 at Cedars-Sinai.**

He stared at the TV with wide eyes, almost feeling as if he might suffocate. What had happened?

**Fans of Mackenzie Diamond are in a state of shock after the singer was placed under a 5150 after months of erratic behavior. According to a close friend of the star, she received a disturbing phone call from Diamond around 3:15 am this morning, in which she expressed paranoia and appeared to be in a manic state. **

James didn't wanna believe this. He did not wanna believe that this was his daughter trapped in the psych ward under a 5150 psychiatric hold. He'd been raising her for nineteen years and she'd always been such a stable minded person. Sure, there had been some stress due to her growing up in the spotlight, and the media scrutiny only increased as she pursued her own music career. Had it finally driven her to insanity?

RIIIIING!

"Hello?"

"So, Kenzie's at Cedars Sinai..."

"I KNOW that, Carlos." James groaned before hanging up, grabbing his jacket and car keys, and heading out to his car. Before he backed out of the garage, however, he found himself looking up and praying for his daughter's wellbeing, and wondering how Jenna would feel about all of this. How would she feel about her daughter's descent into insanity?

The ride to Cedars-Sinai seemed to take forever. James's hands tightly gripped the steering wheel and his muscles were tense as he soon found himself arriving at the dreaded destination.

**"Miss Diamond is the daughter of Big Time Rush's James Diamond and rock star Lucy Stone-Diamond, and we're all wondering where the hell this girl's parents were as she descended into this disturbing new world."**

He growled as he turned the radio off and pulled into a parking space close to the emergency room entrance. He got inside as fast as he could, walking hurriedly to the waiting room where his friends (practically family) were waiting.

"I always did notice something off about her." Gabriella said, earning a glare from the others.

"I can't believe this." James said, lowering himself into a chair next to Kendall and burying his head in his hands. There was an awkward silence that filled the room and James almost felt like crying, but his pride kept him from showing that. He had never been the type to show his discomfort very much, not even after that horrific hostage thing with Wayne Wayne, who was currently serving a nice, lengthy prison sentence for what he did.

"Hey, I'm sure she just cracked under the stress. A nice, long vacation will-" Kendall started to say. That is, until a man in a white coat interrupted.

"Mackenzie Diamond?"

"Her father here." James grumbled, rubbing his temples. "How is she?"

"Unfortunately, we had to sedate her." The man's name tag said Dr. Schneider. James's face had fallen even more upon hearing him announce her sedation. She was clearly pretty bad off if they had to sedate her. Most of all, James wanted to know exactly why she was behaving this way. Maybe Kendall was right and she had snapped under the pressure of being in the public eye. If that was the case, then James was gonna feel pretty guilty for a while.

"Well, w-why'd you do that?" Jo folded her arms over her chest, looking Dr. Schneider right in the eyes.

"That's what I wanna know!" Ryan impatiently blurted out. Lucy was recording today and she had reluctantly allowed him to spend the day over at the Mitchell's house. He and Gabriella had been "talking" and by talking, James means dating. Logan wasn't too thrilled about the whole thing, but James personally doesn't mind. Gabriella's a very nice girl and actually has a lot in common with Ryan. Now, Lucy is a little protective of her son.

"She was presenting a danger to herself and those around her." Dr. Schneider explained. "I'm sorry to say this, but I'd recommend sending her to a...special facility."

"You want me...to send my daughter...to a mental institution?!" James yelped. Kendall and Carlos quickly grabbed him, but he was _so angry. _He just couldn't accept that there was anything wrong with his daughter. For years, Kenzie had been the most stable of them all, making good grades and never getting into trouble. She was a cheerleader, straight A student, and very popular.

"James, look-" Kendall held onto his shoulder.

"I've g-gotta go." James stammered before rushing out of the waiting room. He didn't wanna hear anymore. He just wanted to get to the psych ward and find his daughter. He wasn't gonna believe what the doctor had told him until he saw for himself. He wanted certain proof before accepting that his daughter had suffered a mental breakdown.

He kept running, almost bumping into a few people, until he arrived at the Cedars Sinai psych ward. Damn, it was locked. It was locked and there was no way for him to get in unless he either figured out the code or someone let him in. Tears filled his eyes then and one slipped down his cheek as he touched the metal door, his hand shaking.

He stood there for what seemed like forever, until he heard someone calling his name.

"James!"

He turned around to see his pregnant wife walking toward him, reaching for his hands and gently kissing his cheek.

"What happened?"

"Sh-she's been acting off for months and sh-she finally snapped." James sniffled as Lucy stroked his cheeks. He inhaled and stood up against the wall, another tear falling. He just...he just needed to know that Kenzie was okay and that this was just temporary. It couldn't possibly be an actual mental illness, at least nothing permanent, because James just didn't recall any mental illness in any of his other family members.

Unless...

"I think Jenna's cousin had a mental health problem." He whispered. "Schizoaffective Disorder, I think."

"Schizoaff-James, what's that?"

"It's...um, it's...basically, it's a combination of schizophrenia and a mood disorder, such as Bipolar Disorder or Depression. I still don't think Kenzie could have it, though. She's always been so...stable minded, until a few months ago..."

"I think...that her going to a psychiatric hospital would be a good thing-"

"Lucy, how is _that _a _good _thing?"

"Well, none of us know _exactly _what's going on with her, but if she spends a few weeks institutionalized, she'll be with professionals that _can _figure this out."

James looked desperately at the locked double doors, a silent prayer repeating over and over again in his head. He just wanted someone to help her. It was clear that the constant pressure from being in the spotlight was getting to her. Of course, James hadn't thought this would happen, but who did?

"Um, sir? Hi, we need to see Mackenzie Diamond." Lucy said as Dr. Schneider approached.

"I don't know if that's such a good-"

"Please." James said abruptly. "I _need _to see my daughter."

Dr. Schneider sighed, the punched in the code, pushing the door open, and allowing James and Lucy to enter.

The psychiatric ward was different than anything James had ever seen before. He heard screams of horror, frantic sobs, and more. He couldn't believe that Kenzie was here. She couldn't...she shouldn't...Kenzie is a smart, beautiful, talented girl. James was just trying to make sense of this whole thing.

"She's right here." Dr. Schneider said, carefully pushing the door open. Kenzie was dressed in a white hospital gown and her blonde hair was a mess, and she was staring at the wall, shaking lightly.

"I'm gonna talk to her." James inhaled.

"James-" Lucy started to speak up, but James was already walking over to his daughter.

"Kenz?" He whispered, carefully sitting beside her. Kenzie flinched at the sudden movement and James frowned as he slowly reached for her hand. She pulled away, not wanting to be touched. James was saddened that he couldn't even give his little girl a comforting hug. He didn't know what to say because he was suddenly afraid that he might upset her.

"Baby, what...what happened? Please tell me, baby girl."

"It all sp-spiraled out of control." Kenzie murmured. "I-I a-am so sick and t-tired of everyone w-wanting something from me. E-everyone expects something and s-sometimes I-I can't g-give it to them, s-so they judge me a-and..." She whimpered, still shivering.

James didn't understand what she meant. Yeah, her record label tended to be a little demanding and her suckish manager was always scheduling her for some red carpet appearance, interview, or CD signing. Then there were the magazines, who were constantly criticizing everything from what she wears to who she's dating. Yeah, and she's always being referred to as James Diamond's daughter and she's even told James that she thinks they only talk about her because of who her father is. Could all this stress be what finally sent her over the edge?

"A-and I'd hear th-these p-people in my h-head t-telling me that n-no one actually likes me and th-that I'll never be a-as good as you."

James's heart was shattered. It was beginning to sound more and more like her family had unknowingly contributed to her finally snapping. All the comparisons, all the gossip, the constant criticism and magazines asking "what would her father think?" That would send anyone over the edge.

"I..." He hesitated. "I'm sorry."

* * *

"So...I have a date with Gabriella this weekend." Ryan said as they returned home after a long day.

"That's great, hon." Lucy said, rubbing her temples. James didn't say anything, instead choosing to grab a bottle of Coke from the fridge and go to his and Lucy's shared bedroom. He sat on the bed and took a sip of the drink, looking at a picture of him and Kenzie when she was only five years old. The way she was hugging him and kissing his cheek...it was the sweetest thing, and now she'd gone completely off track.

Then he saw a picture of him and his precious Jenna that he still kept next to his bed. Lucy never minded it because she understands that he'll always love his first wife.

Tears filled James's eyes as he reached for the photograph, staring at it with tired, saddened eyes. It wasn't suppose to be like this. He and Jenna were sharing the sweetest kiss in that picture and they looked so happy. _That _was how it should have been. He loved Lucy, though. He was very happy with her as his wife, but sometimes he secretly wondered what life would've been like if Jenna hadn't passed on.

"Jay? Babe, you okay?"

"Yeah!" James quickly sat the picture back down, forcing a smile onto his face as Lucy entered.

"It's gonna be okay." She said as she sat beside him, rubbing his back. Sighing deeply, James put his arm around her and his other hand on her enlarged stomach, gently kissing her. He hoped she was right. He _needed _everything to be okay again.

"I know." He nodded, his head aching. "I-I know."

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	2. Road To Recovery

**I have a Wattpad now! It's iheartjamesandbtr :) Also, I'm thinking there will be about three or four more chapters left in this story :D**

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It had been two weeks since Kenzie was placed in the mental hospital and James was going with Ryan to visit her. Their only other concert was the fact that Lucy was probably going to undergo induced labor, since little "Jenna Jr." didn't seem to plan on coming out on her own. So any day now, they would be going to the hospital to watch the newest addition be brought into the world by force.

As James pulled up to the mental hospital, he felt the familiar dread he always experienced every time he came here. The two story tall brick building was a place of pain and suffering, where everyone was fighting some kind of battle. James just never thought that his daughter would end up here. The doctor had said that he'd noticed some signs of progress, but that there was still a lot of work to be done before Kenzie could be released.

"I can't believe she's in a loony bin." Ryan looked at the building.

"Trust me, I can't believe it either." James pulled into a parking space before shutting off the engine, getting out of the vehicle. He was just trying to stay strong for Lucy, Ryan, Kenzie, and little Jenna. Even the other Jenna, Kenzie's mother, needed him to be strong, even though she was in Heaven now.

Slowly, they headed toward the entrance and James held the door open so Ryan could walk ahead of him. He felt ashamed, though. He was the adult here. He shouldn't be acting scared. At the same time, though, he didn't see how he should be blamed for being a little freaked out by the fact that his daughter was a mental patient.

"Hi, we're here for Mackenzie Diamond." He told the secretary.

"Yes, um...Charlie, could you take these two to see Mackenzie Diamond?" The young woman instructed to another nurse, a woman probably somewhere in her thirties. His heart ached as she led them out the back door and toward the Bradley unit, the unit for people that were in particularly severe condition. James hated coming here. Ryan, on the other hand, liked it because he got to flirt with the cute nurse that was always sitting at the nurses station.

"Where is sh-" He stopped when he saw Kenzie laying under a blanket on the couch, watching some other kids playing a board game. James would feel a lot more assured if she was actually playing along with them, but she didn't even seem interested. He inhaled as he approached her, while Ryan stayed behind. "Kenz? Baby, it's Dad."

"Hey." She said flatly.

"You doing o-okay?" James cleared his throat, sitting beside her. She remained in the same position, her head rested comfortably on the pillow. By this point, James was beginning to wish that _he _was resting on a pillow. _His _pillow. _At home. _But he also wanted to support his daughter as she travelled the road to recovery. She wouldn't be able to do it without him, right?

"I wanna go home." She murmured, glancing at him.

"I..." James hesitated. "I know. Baby, you just have to let them help you. In order to come home sooner, you have to cooperate and do what they tell you to." He touched her shoulder gently, waiting for a response. They'd gotten a positive diagnosis, thankfully. Well, it wasn't exactly positive, but they did learn that her odd behavior was not caused by an actual mental illness. Apparently, it was caused by stress.

"Dad, I don't...I don't think that I want..."

"You don't wanna do the Hollywood thing. I know." James nodded. "Well...what _do _you wanna do?"

"Go to college. Do something that doesn't involve show business." Kenzie sat up hesitantly, her brown hair a mess. The thing is, she still looked so much like her mother. She looked so much like Jenna, yet all the stress she'd been through made her look so much different. A part of him actually felt like it was his fault that she was like this. He should've taken her out of the business while he still could.

"Is Mom gonna have the baby soon?" She referred to Lucy as Mom, since she was the only mother Kenzie had ever known. James use to be pretty iffy about her referring to Lucy as her mother instead of Jenna, but he had grown to accept that Lucy _was _her mother now and, thankfully, the two were quite close.

"She's gonna be induced soon." James let Kenzie rest her head on his shoulder and he placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"What? I don't get any love?" Ryan asked impatiently. James smacked a hand to his forehead as Kenzie gave her half brother the finger before letting him join in the group hug. James honestly had so much love for these children. At seventeen years old, he hadn't seen himself ever becoming a husband or father, but here he was, and he loved it.

"Kenz, I wanna promise you something." He told her.

"W-what?" Kenzie stammered, clearly nervous.

"When you get out of here, we are gonna take a nice vacation to clear our heads, and _then _we're gonna look into getting you applied to some colleges. So while you're in here, I want you to think about where you want to go and we'll make it happen, okay?"

A tiny smile appeared on her face. "You mean it?"

James smiled, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Of course I do."

RIIIIIING!

_Lucy_

"Hold on, it's your mom." He told them before answering the phone. "Hello?"

"James? I'm at the hospital. It's time."

"I'll be right there!" James yelped abruptly before hanging up and stumbling to his head. "Ryan, we've gotta go."

"Dad, we just got here!"

"Dad?" Kenzie frowned.

"Lucy's in labor. We've gotta go NOW." James gently kissed Kenzie's head before grabbing Ryan and pushing him toward the exit. With one final wave to his very nervous daughter, they left, and headed straight for the parking lot. James was getting more excited by the minute, knowing that their baby daughter would soon be here.

* * *

"Remind me why WE are watching you? Our parents are suppose to-" Jayce stammered nervously. Lucy knew he'd much rather be at the mental hospital with Kenzie because THIS must have been incredibly awkward. Logan and Camille had both decided to head down to the cafeteria, leaving their children to stay with Lucy, who'd suddenly went into labor a few days after the doctors said they

would likely be inducing her. Apparently baby Jenna didn't WANT to be induced.

"Because, you guys, your mom and dad wanted to get something to eat." She sighed, looking up at the ceiling. She'd been giving an epidural, but she could feel some of that discomfort coming back. When James got here, she was probably gonna be ready to smack him a few times for doing this to her.

"I'M HERE! I'M HERE!"

"And you guys may go...wherever." She breathed as James came running into the room. Jayce and Gabriella almost immediately got up and ran out the door, not that Lucy minded. She actually felt pretty weird herself about having her friend's children there instead of her husband.

"YOU JERK!" She yelped, throwing an extra pillow at him.

"Look, I'm sorry. I was at the hospital with Kenzie and-"

Lucy sighed again. "Sorry for throwing the pillow." She gasped, clutching her stomach. Dammit, when would this be over? She took a couple of deep breaths and tried to remain calm as James took her hand in his. She felt so relieved when her doctor walked in with two nurses, hoping that this meant she could push and get this over with.

"Well, are you ready to have that baby?"

"I've _been _ready for two hours!" Lucy snapped, lightly smacking James's shoulder. She saw nothing but anxiety on his face and, well, she felt a little bad. She felt more sympathy for herself, though, because _she _was the one that had carried this kid for nine months and was currently in the middle of freaking childbirth.

"Dude, I hate you so much right now." She whispered at her husband, giving him a dirty look. In response, he gave her a nervous smile, not that she cared.

"Okay, on the count of three, I need you to push, okay?" Doctor Evans told her. She rolled her eyes at him sitting up. "One, two, three..."

Twenty minutes later, they heard the beautiful cries of their baby girl.

* * *

"She's perfect." Lucy cooed as James held the pink bundle in his arms.

"She is." James whispered, touching little Jenna's hand. They had decided they would call her Jen for short. Little Jen, their precious angel. He gently kissed the baby's forehead, looking toward the doorway when he saw Ryan enter. "Hey, buddy. Wanna meet your sister?"

"Duh!" Ryan replied, walking over to them. He smiled when he saw the little girl, reaching out and letting her wrap her hand around his finger. James glanced at Lucy and smiled, easily realizing that Jen already adored her big brother. He was sure she would be the same with Kenzie.

"Hey, you wanna hold her? I'm gonna call your sister and let her know." He said, carefully placing Jen in Ryan's arms. Then he took out his cell phone and headed into the hallway, dialing the number to the Bradley unit at Los Angeles Mental Hospital. He stood with his back against the wall, anxiously awaiting a response. Finally, he got one.

"Hi! Um, this is Mackenzie Diamond's father. I'd like to speak with her."

"Yes, of course."

He waited a little longer, biting his lip as he began to get even more anxious, in a good way.

"D-dad?"

"Kenzie, Lucy had the baby! You have a little sister!

"Seriously?!"

"Yeah!" James grinned, nearly bouncing off the walls. He kind of felt a bit childish by acting so hyper and excited, but he figured there was nothing wrong with expressing his joy, especially after they'd been through so much in the past couple of weeks. They needed a little joy in their lives.

"Oh my god! Dad, I wish you could send me some pictures, but they won't let me have my phone-"

James frowned, hating that little fact. He knew they had reasons for not allowing the use of technology, but it was saddening that Kenzie wouldn't get to see her little sister yet like everyone else was.

"Listen, you're getting out pretty soon and when you do, you'll get to see her." He tried his best to assure her. Besides, it was true. Once they'd gotten her back into a stable state of mind, they would allow her to leave the hospital. He could only assume that her release would be soon, since she appeared to be making at least a little bit of progress.

"Promise it'll be soon?"

"I...Of course."

"And daddy?"

Daddy. She hadn't called him that since she was a little girl. That was even more assuring. He was seeing little traces of the old Kenzie, the one they all knew and loved.

"Yeah, baby girl?"

"I love you." Kenzie's voice was low, but James heard her loud and clear. He smiled softly, leaning against the wall.

"I love you too, princess." He whispered. "Always."

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	3. Closer

**Well, here's another chapter! :)**

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Kenzie had been in the psych hospital for a month now, and she was tired of it. She could slowly feel her sanity returning, so she didn't see the purpose of her having to stay here any longer. The doctor said he wanted to take things slow, but she still didn't see why she should have to remain here. She wasn't about argue, though. If she got too emotional, they would make her stay way longer than she wanted to.

She sat quietly on the couch, observing the common room. She wanted to go home and see her two week old little sister. It sucked that everyone else was getting to enjoy the new baby and she was _here_, recovering from a nervous breakdown. Well, at least her dad was helping her look into colleges for the fall.

She pulled her brown locks into a low bun, breathing in as she picked up a magazine off the coffee table. She bit her lip anxiously, heaving a sigh as she saw a short article about herself, titled Kenzie's Big Time Breakdown. This was _exactly _why she had come to resent the Hollywood scene. They used someone else's struggles as entertainment and it was absolutely _sickening._

"Hi, I'm here for Mackenzie Diamond."

She could've sworn she heard her name. Curious, she put the magazine down and turned around, surprised to find Jayce standing by the nurses desk, his eyes searching for her. Before even giving it a second thought, she jumped to her feet and launched herself into his arms, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight embrace.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" She asked as he finally released her.

"I haven't visited too much and, well, I wanted to see how you're doing." They walked back over to the couch, sitting down. Kenzie hugged her knees to her chest, watching him closely. It was crazy how much he looked like his parents. He had Logan's dimples, his smile, but Camille's eyes. Truthfully, she'd always had a thing for him, but never quite found the courage to say it. Not to his face...or anyone else's.

"Well, I'm doing better. So much that I am dying to get out of here. I don't need this place anymore." She sighed. She let him put his arm around her, looking around the room. She hated the way everyone here seemed to be judging her. She got so many of those "boo hoo, your life is sooooo hard" comments and it made her wanna flip out.

"Well, the doctor said you'll be getting out next week, right?"

"Possibly." She laid down with her head on his lip, wondering what everyone was doing back home. Probably playing with baby Jenna and having a good time, eating homemade food and listening to awesome music and spending time with their friends and family. What was Kenzie doing? Oh yeah, sitting in a mental hospital.

"Hey, just show them that you are better, that you are ready for the outside world, and they should let you out soon." Jayce said as he helped her sit back up. She hoped that he was right. She missed being home so much, even if they did get bugged by paparazzi on a regular basis. Well, that wouldn't be an issue once Kenzie got away and went to college.

"So, how's everyone doing?" She wondered.

"Everyone's great! Your sister is really cute, by the way. Sleeps a lot, but when she's awake, she loves being held by pretty much anyone. I think Uncle Carlos is her favorite." Jayce answered. Kenzie just couldn't resist giggling at that. Carlos was _everyone's _favorite. He was the cool uncle. Kendall was the second favorite. Her own father and Logan were tied for third.

"Well, that sounds amazing." She smiled. "I can't wait to see her."

"You will soon." Jayce took her hand in his, giving it a little squeeze. She hoped he didn't see her blush. Now, she saw some patients nearby sending judgmental glances at her and she tried to avoid returning a look in their direction. She hated it here. She wanted to go home so badly that it was killing her. Why did she have to let the pressure get to her?

"Hey!" Jayce suddenly spoke up again. "Your dad's been looking into colleges you might like! And he wanted me to ask what you think about NYU."

"NYU." Kenzie repeated thoughtfully. New York City was one of her favorite places to visit. It was really a very beautiful city, full of fun and adventure. That actually sounded like a pretty appealing option, especially since it was on the opposite side of the country, away from the drama that was Los Angeles, California. "I like it!"

"Should I tell your dad that it's a yes?" Jayce said eagerly. What was he getting so excited for?

"Yeah!" She smiled, clapping her hands.

"Awesome! I'm thinking about applying too."

"Really?" She asked him, a tiny smile still remaining on her face. If he was planning to go too, that would be even better. Getting to share her college experience with a friend sounded like a great idea. She wanted to go to college, but she wasn't sure if she necessarily wanted to do it alone.

"Yeah! I talked to my parents and they think it would be a good thing for me. Plus, ever since you...had your...um, breakdown...they're kind of paranoid that the excessive exposure might drive me to have one too, so..."

Kenzie giggled softly, running her fingers through her hair. That sounded just like Logan and Camille to be paranoid about their oldest child having a mental breakdown. Plus, it was good that they were being careful. Her dad hadn't exactly been prepared for her to fall as hard as she did and now look where she was. So if there was any way to prevent another BTR member's kid from losing their mind, then it should be done.

"Well, I'd be happy to share my college experience with you." She grinned, playfully nudging him.

"Good to know, because it's gonna happen." Jayce chuckled, nudging her back. She laughed and put her arms around him again, relieved that he didn't push her away. She was a hugger. It was a known fact that Kenzie Diamond was a hugger. Her dad was like that too. James was always happy to give someone a hug if they needed it.

"Oooh, music videos!" She exclaimed, grabbing the TV remote and turning the volume up. MTV was playing an old BTR music video, 24/Seven. Her dad and his bandmates must have been in their late teens when this video was released. "Awww, look at them!" She wasn't like some teenagers. Her dad was her best friend, no doubt about it.

"I wish I could learn how to dance like that." Jayce muttered. That was when Kenzie got an idea. She stood up and grabbed his hand. "Um, what are you doing?"

"Wanna learn how to do 'the smurf'? My dad taught me this dance move." She said, sliding each foot from side to side. She wasn't an expert dancer, but she had learned a few things from being James Diamond's daughter. She knew a majority of BTR's songs word for word and she had picked up on some of their dances.

"How do you even-"

"It's not hard. Just follow my lead." She said before repeating the move. Jayce raised an eyebrow at her before reluctantly imitating her moves. She gave him an approving smile, repeating the move. Jayce imitated her again. Before either of them knew it, they weren't even doing a specific dance anymore, just laughing and fooling around.

**Five minutes later**

"Not bad, Mr. Mitchell." She laughed, nudging him.

"Well, thank you. Thank you very much." Jayce said in his Elvis Presley voice. She cracked up laughing, covering her face. She was having more fun than she had in a longtime. She needed someone like Jayce to keep her sane. It was clear just from how much better she felt when she was with him.

"Now, I need to go because Mom and Dad are gonna start worrying about me and then I'll be in trouble, and we don't want that." Jayce chuckled, pulling her into a hug. "I'll see you again soon." He buried his face in her hair and she sighed softly as she hugged his waist. She hated that he was leaving, but she understand what he meant about his parents. They could be quite protective.

"Okay." She whispered, looking up at him. She didn't expect anything more than a hug, but when the nurses weren't looking, he pressed his lips against her. She closed her eyes, a little disappointed when it ended. She had kissed other boys before, but nothing compared to this.

"Um...I gotta go. Take care, okay?" He gave her a quick hug before a nurse opened the door for him, allowing him to exit. Kenzie inhaled as she returned to the couch, sitting back down and looking at the BTR music that was coming to an end. The visit had been a good one and she hated that it was over.

On the bright side, she would be out of here soon, then she go back to living her life.

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**James, Kenzie, and friends will be reunited in the next chapter :D**

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	4. We Are So Blessed

**Sorry I haven't updated this in over a month! o.O I had Writers Block with it, unfortunately. However, there will be two more chapters, so you can see Kenzie start her new life at NYU:)**

**I am also continuing Thoughts of a Stranger, so I'll be posting another update! Probably tomorrow, in fact :)**

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"Jenna, sweet baby girl, I love you so much." James whispered, looking down at the nearly one month old girl laying in his arms. She was fast asleep, so beautiful, so innocent, she was so perfect. She looked so much like her older sister. Kenzie had been out of the psych hospital for three weeks now and she had proven to be a wonderful older sister. James knew that the two would be very close.

"You're named after Daddy's first love, did you know that?" He stroked Baby Jenna's tiny hand. She yawned, stretching her tiny arms. He kissed her forehead and listened to the excitement downstairs. Kenzie had just finished and sent in her application to NYU and had quit the record label, which she admitted was a relief.

If she was happy, James was happy. He wanted his daughter to do what made _her _happy.

"You are so cute." He chuckled, looked at his youngest child. She yawned again, finally opening her eyes. She stared up at him and he smiled at her, giving her another kiss. Lucy was downstairs watching some chick flick with Kenzie, so that left James to spend time with the new baby and he certainly didn't mind.

"Hey, I wanna show you something." He cooed, carrying her over to the mirror. A grin appeared on his face as he held her so that she could see her reflection. "You have brown eyes just like your mama, but you have your daddy's hair and his nose. Mommy thinks you're gonna have my smile too. Of course, we won't know _that _until you actually start smiling."

He chuckled, pecking her nose.

"Such a pretty little girl." He said softly, staring at the reflection. Everyone said he had aged well. Even Ryan talked about hoping he aged as well as his father had. James was always afraid of growing old, so this was a relief to hear. Although, he was only in his late thirties, almost forty. He really wasn't _that_ old, he supposed.

"Dad, we have guests over." Ryan peeked into the room.

"I'll be there in a minute, bud. Could you take your little sister downstairs?"

"By all means." Ryan shrugged, taking little Jenna into his arms. He talked to the baby in a hilariously childlike voice and James smiled, shaking his head as his little buddy left the room with the newest joy of his life. Yes, even though Ryan was only sixteen, he was still James' little buddy.

"James," He breathed. "You're a very lucky man."

"You've been doing okay?" Jo asked, spreading chocolate icing over the chocolate cake.

"Better than ever!" Kenzie smiled, lifting three year old Jeff into her arms. He wiggled in her arms and she couldn't help laughing, sitting the child down. Jeff immediately put his arms around his mother's legs, staring up at Jo.

"Excuse me." Jo said before taking Jeff's hand, guiding him to the living room. Kenzie breathed in and finished the cake's icing, licking the extra icing off. No, there was no special occasion. Just friends and family wanting to spend time together, something none of them had done in quite some time. Plus, Kenzie would be going away to New York City in a few months.

"Won't be too long and we'll be outta here."

"Very true." She smiled as Jayce walked in. He gave her a kiss that seemed to last pretty close to forever, but finally came to an end. She had to admit that she was a little disappointed. However, she also was aware that they couldn't make out when their parents were in the same building. Well, they would have plenty of alone time in New York City.

"Hey, do you find it weird that you're dating me and your brother is dating my sister? My dad finds it kind of funny."

"What's weird about it? What would be weird is me dating a man thirty years older than me."

"Actually, that would just be creepy. I'm just saying."

"Uh huh..." Kenzie nodded. "Now, get a plate and grab yourself a piece of this delicious cake."

"Will do, my lady." Jayce pecked her cheek before grabbing a paper plate off the kitchen island. Kenzie giggled to herself, listening to Lucy chatting with the others in the living room. Yvonne and Callie were having a 'twerk off', much to Carlos and Stephanie's embarrassment. Kenzie didn't get it, though. When he was younger, Carlos thought twerking was the funniest thing ever.

"THE CAKE'S FINISHED! YOU CAN GET A SLICE NOW!" She announced before walking into the living room. She watched as they all eagerly headed into the kitchen, except for Logan and Camille.

"We're too lazy to get up." Camille confessed. "Sorry 'bout that."

"If it make's you feel better, Ryan's lazy _all _the time."

"I HEARD THAT!"

"You were suppose to, little brother." Kenzie retorted before getting back up and walking into the kitchen. She was surprised to find that Jayce had already got her a slice as well. She kissed his cheek in gratitude, following him over to the couch.

"We're all gonna miss you guys so much!" Camille put her hand on Kenzie's shoulder.

"But we're _very _proud of both of you." Logan added.

"Well, I can't wait to get there, to be honest." Kenzie said, imagining life at NYU. New York University. She couldn't believe that she might be going to _university. _She would certainly appreciate all the time spent in show business, but in the end, Hollywood wasn't the right place for her. It was hardly good for her mental health and she needed to get herself out of that situation.

"Okay, important question. Is the cake finished?"

"Uncle James!" Kat and Bryan exclaimed, hurrying over to him. James laughed, giving both of them high fives.

"Yeah, the cake's done!" Kat chirped. "Kenzie and Mom made it!"

Kenzie and Jo raised their hands proudly, since the cake (so far) seemed to be a big success amongst the group. Kenzie snuggled up to Jayce, watching as her dad entered the kitchen. You know, she always thought it was kind of crazy how she and her dad always got along so well, since most teenagers were too busy trying to rebel.

"You look beautiful, by the way." Camille told her. "So much better than-"

"Cam-"

"Logan-"

"Uh..." Logan said, glancing at his wife. Out of nowhere, Camille stood up and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the hallway. Jayce now had a look of disgust on his face and Kenzie patted his cheek playfully, squealing as he pulled her onto his lap. She knew her dad was watching them, but hey, he did the same thing with Lucy on a regular basis.

"So," Jayce started. "What do you say we go for a walk?"

"Oh, could you guys take Jeff with you? He's so restless and I want him to be sleepy when it's time for bed..."

"Yeah, we'll take him!" Kenzie stood up, reaching for Jeff's hand. "C'mon, little guy. You, me, and Jayce are gonna go for a walk."  
_

"Hey, where are Jayce and Kenzie going?" Lucy whispered to Jo.

"They're going for a walk. Hey, it's good to get out every once in a while. _In fact_, I think you and James should join them."

"What?"

"Yeah, what?" James raised his eyebrows.

"I'm serious!" Jo ushered them both towards the front door. "Ryan is here and we'll all help take care of the baby. Now go!"

"AND BE CAREFUL!" Kendall told them. Lucy gave them two thumbs up before taking her husband's hand and walking out the door. She was kind of glad Jo had forced them out of the house. She _loved _having a newborn in the family, but being a mom could be a tiring job, so it was a relief to get a break from it all.

"Hey! Jo insisted that we join you guys." James chuckled, putting his arm around Kenzie.

"Um, yeah! Sure, that's cool." Jayce nodded, although his cheeks were bright red. Lucy shook her head and pulled James back, giving him a look.

"Let's give them some space." She whispered, picking Jeff up. "Right, buddy? Shouldn't we give them some space?"

"Yeah!" Jeff agreed. Lucy looked at James then. She knew he had a hard time leaving Kenzie alone with boys, being the overprotective father he was, but this was Jayce they were talking about! He was a good kid! He was responsible and hardly ever got into any trouble. He had never even had a detention before nor had he ever been arrested. So she felt that they should trust him.

"Look at them." She smiled softly, noting the way Jayce had his arm wrapped protectively around Kenzie's waist. This reminded her of a time when she and James were only friends and he was still with Jenna. Jayce and Kenzie reminded Lucy a lot of James and Jenna. The sweetness, the protectiveness, the genuine nature of their relationship. It was really quite lovely to see the similarities, although the beginning of their relationship was _very _different than James and Jenna's had been.

"They look really happy." She smiled softly, resting her head against her husband's shoulder.

"And someday, Mr. Jeff here will find himself a lucky girl and he'll have that relationship too. Won't you, little guy?"

"Uh uh!" Jeff shook his head, pouting. Okay, he was only three. That reaction made sense for a three year old.

"Hey, we're not rushing anything!" James grinned, tickling Jeff's stomach. The toddler smiled and pushed James' hands away, looking like a spitting image of Kendall and Jo. It was a beautiful sight, really. Just seeing how all of them had grown up and had children of their own.

Lucy sighed, a tiny smile on her face as she looked up at the sparkling night sky. She knew one thing for sure. She was blessed to have an amazing family and equally amazing friends.

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